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Jobs and Families Tougher for Unwed Parents

A new report by the Brookings Institute shows unwed parents have a host of characteristics that compli­cate getting good jobs, forming stable families, and performing successfully as parents.

According to the report, within five years after the birth, a third of children born to unmarried parents see their father less than once a month, 55 percent of mothers have formed new relationships, and children are already showing problems in test performance and behavior.

Brookings recommends policies to support single parents, to prevent unwed births, to reduce the number of young men given long prison sentences, and to fund at least some federal demonstration pro­grams that provide marriage education and services to these young couples.